Morales to go on Hunger Strike

Evo Morales, the Bolivian president, has begun a hunger strike aimed at pressuring the country’s parliament to set a firm date for general elections that he is likely to win.

Morales, who took office in 2006, has said opposition politicians are trying to block the poll, which was approved by voters as part of a constitutional referendum held in January.

“Faced with the negligence of a bunch of neo-liberal lawmakers, we have no choice but to take this step [hunger strike] … they don’t want to pass a law that guarantees the implementation of the constitution,” Morales said at the presidential palace in La Paz on Thursday.

Fourteen leaders of labour and social groups said they were joining the president on the hunger strike. >>>